Core Values

What are the Core Values I could not live without?

The Core Values I could not live without are: respect, honesty, compassion, and trust. You may ask why I picked these as my Core Values.
Well, let me explain.

My first choice is "Respect." Respect is the first and far most important core value that is needed by the director of a child care program. Therefore, I must give respect to my staff, parents, and children that are in my care. When I give them respect, I will receive respect back form them. When showing respect I will show consideration for their thoughts, feelings, and actions for the betterment of the childcare center.

For example, if the staff members feel that parents should be involved in the decision making of a field trip to the art museum or science center, then I would think this over before making the decision all on my own.

My second choice is "Honesty." There must be honesty within the childcare setting. I being the director must be honest with my staff and not go into hiding when a problem arises. If the director does not have all of the answers it is quite okay to say that I do not know.

The parents will appreciate my honesty also because if they need some type of resource help and I do not know right off hand but inform the parent that I will get the answer and get back with them with the correct information. The parent can handle that much better than a lie. The director or should I say “I do not want the parents to shine the “light of the lie” on me because once it is turned on it is very hard to turn it off.”

My third choice was "Compassion." Being a director I need to have compassion for my staff, parents, and children at the center. I say this because unforeseen circumstances can hit us all at anytime. My having compassion would mean that I would show sympathy, empathy, concern, and kindness to my staff members parents, and the children in my care. Having compassion I would not be a director that is hard to deal with.

My fourth choice is "Trust." As a director I must have trust. When I have this trust with my staff I can be at a meeting with fellow directors and know that the center is running smoothly. I must have trust in the parents that they will come to parent meetings and participate in the events that take place at the center because without them and their children I would not have a center at all.

When I reflect back on these touchstones of respect, honesty, compassion, and trust as (Bruno, 2009) states that “touchstones keep us grounded.” How true this statement is. When I place these touchstones or Core Values before me as if they are on a table I have to remember to use these Core Values each and everyday so that my childcare center can run smoothly.

Finally, when I work along with these Core Values they “remind me of my purpose, vision, and mission.” When I continue to place integrity in the mix with these core values it helps me and my entire team to “align our decisions with our core values” at the childcare center. Bruno, H. E. (2009). Leading On Purpose: Emotionally Intelligent Early Childhood Administration. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.